Keep reading even if you’re not a parent now because you may become a parent one day. And you should all the more keep reading if you’re already a parent now or you’re about to become a parent.
You need to know the real reason why your kids need to get good grades in school so that you can inculcate the right mindset in them to prepare them for success in the real world in future.
I find that too many people are still giving their kids the old and obsolete advice of ‘study hard, get good grades so that you can get into a good school, earn a good degree, get a good job and be successful’.
I just had a conversation with my girlfriend a few days ago on this topic. I asked her what would she tell our kids if they ever ask her why they need to do well in school and the above was the exact reply she gave me.
So I told her, “In future, if our kids ever ask you why they need to do well in school, please tell them to come to me.” After listening to my explanation, she said ‘ok’. Phew!
There’s nothing wrong with studying hard to get good grades and getting into a good school. But if you believe the reason for all that is to earn a good degree to get a good job so as to be successful, you’re out of touch with the real world.
The truth in the real world is this: Neither a good degree nor a good job will guarantee you success in life.
There is little correlation between academic achievements and personal/professional achievements.
Here’s a list of billionaires and multimillionaires who didn’t have a degree or diploma, but went on to becoming immensely successful in their respective fields.
• Bill Gates
• Paul Allen
• Michael Dell
• Steve Jobs
• Larry Ellison (Oracle)
• Peter Jennings (ABC News)
• Harry S. Truman (U.S. President)
• Steven Spielberg (Movie Director)
• Ralph Lauren (Fashion Designer)
• Ted Turner (Turner Networks)
How did all these highly successful individuals become successful? They are EXCELLENT in what they do!
So the real reason why your kids need to get good grades in school is they need to LEARN HOW TO BE EXCELLENT in what they do!
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” – Aristotle
“Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude.” – Ralph Marston
Excellence is both a habit and an attitude, and it’s a habit and attitude which anyone can cultivate. Aristotle also said, “Excellence is an art won by training and habitation.”
School is the best training ground for kids to cultivate this habit cum attitude, and it is best for your kids to start cultivating excellence from a young age.
Successful people are not necessarily any smarter than you and me. They just have better habits and greater attitude.
The world is full of smart and intelligent people who’d attained remarkable academic qualifications, but they still amount to nothing great in life.
So you should never tell your kids to make getting into a good school and earning a good degree to be their ultimate goal in scoring well in school. You should also never tell them that they need that qualification to be successful in life.
And if they ask you, what then, is the real ‘Qualification’ they need to be successful in life, give them the following advice:
“The only diploma that counts is a million-dollar idea. The only qualification needed is a burning desire. The only credential required is fearless action.” – The One Minute Millionaire
Cheers~
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on Dec 30th, 2008 at 6:17 am
Thanks for good post